The Last Supper and the washing of the feet, kept with the service of the Twelve Gospels.
Dates
| Year | Dates | Reckoning | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | April 17, 2025 | ||
| 2026 | April 9, 2026 |
Recurrence: Orthodox Pascha computus (three days before Pascha).
Significance
Orthodox Holy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper, at which Christ washed the disciples' feet and instituted the Eucharist. The day's long service of the Twelve Gospels, held that evening, reads the accounts of the passion in sequence. In cathedrals the bishop washes the feet of priests in imitation of Christ.
Observance
The Vesperal Liturgy of Saint Basil is celebrated, feet are washed in cathedral churches, and the Twelve Gospels of the Passion are read in the evening.